Henry Homesteader 9mm Review
- I Recently decided I needed a rifle that bridged the gap between .22LR and 7.62x39. As far as ammo expense and recoil. I also wasn't interested in investing on mags for another platform. The homesteader 9mm fit the bill. I chose the model with the Glock magwell adapter since it's my main pistol platform. They have decreased in price since first released. Picked this one up for $799 plus tax.
Ergonomics/ Handling
- Overall the rifle is well balanced. The rear and froward grips are quite comfortable. The grip texture is not your typical checkering. Seems to be a type of gritty lasered texture. It's a good balance between providing a good grip but not excessively aggressive. The butt pad is very comfortable. It's a very firm rubber material with good grip. Feels well made and shouldn't deteriorate anytime soon. I personally prefer metal butt plates like some of Henry's other offerings. However, the rubber pad does a great job absorbing recoil. The Glock magwell does have the mag release button on the left side vs the underside with henry's in-house mags which is a positive in my opinion. The stock comb is well placed and provides a good line of sight with the apertures. Charging Handle is ambidextrous and very easy to swap around. I'm a righty and found having the mag release and charging handle on the left side very comfortable at the range.
Range Time/ Reliability
- Rifle was cleaned and lubed before first use. My main purpose on this first session was to ensure function with a variety of Glock Gen 5 OEM 10-33rd and Magpul 15-27rd aftermarket mags. Rifle functions flawlessly with all Glock and Magpul mags. I only had access to a 50yd bay this time and accuracy was very good. I was consistently hitting a small 5 inch reactive steel target off a cheap foam rest . I wasn't really measuring groups but eye balling them I'm confident with proper rifle rest and good ammo 1-3 moa is achievable at 100 yards. Rifle was fed roughly 500rds such a ball ammo like Fiochi 115gr, Magtec 115gr, and Belom 124gr Nato spec. Also shot several defensive loads such as Federal Punch 124gr, Hornady FTX 115gr/ American Gunner 124gr XTP/ Subsonic 147GR XTP, and Sig V-Crown 115gr. All loads above cycled nicely and locked back the bolt every time on an empty mag. Seemed like Nato Spec 124gr shot POA/ POI. 115gr range ammo seemed to shoot couple inches low at 50yd. I sighted the rifle with a mix of ball ammo so obviously you can sight yours in to your specific brand. It's just something I noticed shooting a variety of ammo. 124r was the most accurate as far as POA/ POI. Trigger pull felt like 6lbs and slight creep out of the box. After 500rd break in and lubed it's very nice and crisp at roughly 4-4.5 lbs with no creep. Trigger reset and tang safety is very audible/ tactile which is a big positive. Recoil was very soft and pleasant. The action mass cycling is very smooth and consistent.
Maintenance/ Craftsmanship
- After roughly 500rds rifle was cleaned and inspected. Very little wear on the parts. And to my surprise almost no wear on the anodizing inside the receiver aside from the receiver bolt rails which had very minimal finish wear. The Bolt seemed to have some type of TiN coating which makes it smooth/ slick. It was relatively easy to clean. However, the bolt face did require a little effort since the blow back design sort of cooks the carbon on the metal surface similar to an AR bolt stem. Overall disassembly isn't to bad considering its just 3 pins and a Allen screw for the handguard. The pins can be very snug at first but get better after being removed a couple of times.
- Fit and Finish seems good. Parts all have minimal wear. The recoil spring/ front bolt weight design is quite clever. There's several similarities to m1 carbine/ Garand/ AK type requirements for grease lubrication due to large parts sliding and tolerances. Although the owner manuals calls for gun oil. I initially used gun oil but switched to light film of GP synthetic grease.
- The aperture sights are very nicely done. They are of Xs brand. Adjusting them is pretty straight froward with a small flat head screw driver. Since it's drilled and tapped for weaver 63b rails I may mount a red dot in the near future. Ranger Point makes a rail specifically for the homesteader that still allows you to use your stock aperture sights with the rail installed.
Final Thoughts
- I'm very pleased with my purchase. Rifle is built like a tank. Craftsmanship is a 9 out of 10 and it's made in the USA. There's many people comparing this rifle to AR9's, Ruger PC carbine etc. However, this rifle it what it is. If your looking for a quality built rifle that can become heirloom this is it. I don't feel like Henry was aiming for either tactical or Hunting markets. In my opinion they just wanted to offer a solid 9mm carbine alterative that great for anything the user wishes. Whether that's plinking, hunting, competing or all of the above. You either like it or you hate it. I'm sure the aftermarket will eventually catch up and provide new furniture like aluminum rails/ stocks etc. Like their other products knowing their industry leading customer service really made me confident on my purchase. Just having the confidence if any issue arises Henry has my back to make it right. My only cons this rifle is the lack of weaver rail out of the box and handguard attachment. The front front handguard uses a angled Allen screw which provides clearance from the barrel to use a plain Allen key. After 500 rounds it did slightly loosen and gave a slight play to the wood. Even though it's solid quality walnut. I don't like the idea of cranking down the screw excessively every time I clean it. I wish they designed with some sort of ratcheting end cap/ bolt similar like a shot gun tube or used a barrel band. I applied more force this time and will keep an eye on it. Maybe it just needs a good tightening and will not damage the handguard. If you've been thinking about picking one up go ahead. It will not disappoint you. Thanks for reading my review and hoped you enjoyed it.
- I Recently decided I needed a rifle that bridged the gap between .22LR and 7.62x39. As far as ammo expense and recoil. I also wasn't interested in investing on mags for another platform. The homesteader 9mm fit the bill. I chose the model with the Glock magwell adapter since it's my main pistol platform. They have decreased in price since first released. Picked this one up for $799 plus tax.
Ergonomics/ Handling
- Overall the rifle is well balanced. The rear and froward grips are quite comfortable. The grip texture is not your typical checkering. Seems to be a type of gritty lasered texture. It's a good balance between providing a good grip but not excessively aggressive. The butt pad is very comfortable. It's a very firm rubber material with good grip. Feels well made and shouldn't deteriorate anytime soon. I personally prefer metal butt plates like some of Henry's other offerings. However, the rubber pad does a great job absorbing recoil. The Glock magwell does have the mag release button on the left side vs the underside with henry's in-house mags which is a positive in my opinion. The stock comb is well placed and provides a good line of sight with the apertures. Charging Handle is ambidextrous and very easy to swap around. I'm a righty and found having the mag release and charging handle on the left side very comfortable at the range.
Range Time/ Reliability
- Rifle was cleaned and lubed before first use. My main purpose on this first session was to ensure function with a variety of Glock Gen 5 OEM 10-33rd and Magpul 15-27rd aftermarket mags. Rifle functions flawlessly with all Glock and Magpul mags. I only had access to a 50yd bay this time and accuracy was very good. I was consistently hitting a small 5 inch reactive steel target off a cheap foam rest . I wasn't really measuring groups but eye balling them I'm confident with proper rifle rest and good ammo 1-3 moa is achievable at 100 yards. Rifle was fed roughly 500rds such a ball ammo like Fiochi 115gr, Magtec 115gr, and Belom 124gr Nato spec. Also shot several defensive loads such as Federal Punch 124gr, Hornady FTX 115gr/ American Gunner 124gr XTP/ Subsonic 147GR XTP, and Sig V-Crown 115gr. All loads above cycled nicely and locked back the bolt every time on an empty mag. Seemed like Nato Spec 124gr shot POA/ POI. 115gr range ammo seemed to shoot couple inches low at 50yd. I sighted the rifle with a mix of ball ammo so obviously you can sight yours in to your specific brand. It's just something I noticed shooting a variety of ammo. 124r was the most accurate as far as POA/ POI. Trigger pull felt like 6lbs and slight creep out of the box. After 500rd break in and lubed it's very nice and crisp at roughly 4-4.5 lbs with no creep. Trigger reset and tang safety is very audible/ tactile which is a big positive. Recoil was very soft and pleasant. The action mass cycling is very smooth and consistent.
Maintenance/ Craftsmanship
- After roughly 500rds rifle was cleaned and inspected. Very little wear on the parts. And to my surprise almost no wear on the anodizing inside the receiver aside from the receiver bolt rails which had very minimal finish wear. The Bolt seemed to have some type of TiN coating which makes it smooth/ slick. It was relatively easy to clean. However, the bolt face did require a little effort since the blow back design sort of cooks the carbon on the metal surface similar to an AR bolt stem. Overall disassembly isn't to bad considering its just 3 pins and a Allen screw for the handguard. The pins can be very snug at first but get better after being removed a couple of times.
- Fit and Finish seems good. Parts all have minimal wear. The recoil spring/ front bolt weight design is quite clever. There's several similarities to m1 carbine/ Garand/ AK type requirements for grease lubrication due to large parts sliding and tolerances. Although the owner manuals calls for gun oil. I initially used gun oil but switched to light film of GP synthetic grease.
- The aperture sights are very nicely done. They are of Xs brand. Adjusting them is pretty straight froward with a small flat head screw driver. Since it's drilled and tapped for weaver 63b rails I may mount a red dot in the near future. Ranger Point makes a rail specifically for the homesteader that still allows you to use your stock aperture sights with the rail installed.
Final Thoughts
- I'm very pleased with my purchase. Rifle is built like a tank. Craftsmanship is a 9 out of 10 and it's made in the USA. There's many people comparing this rifle to AR9's, Ruger PC carbine etc. However, this rifle it what it is. If your looking for a quality built rifle that can become heirloom this is it. I don't feel like Henry was aiming for either tactical or Hunting markets. In my opinion they just wanted to offer a solid 9mm carbine alterative that great for anything the user wishes. Whether that's plinking, hunting, competing or all of the above. You either like it or you hate it. I'm sure the aftermarket will eventually catch up and provide new furniture like aluminum rails/ stocks etc. Like their other products knowing their industry leading customer service really made me confident on my purchase. Just having the confidence if any issue arises Henry has my back to make it right. My only cons this rifle is the lack of weaver rail out of the box and handguard attachment. The front front handguard uses a angled Allen screw which provides clearance from the barrel to use a plain Allen key. After 500 rounds it did slightly loosen and gave a slight play to the wood. Even though it's solid quality walnut. I don't like the idea of cranking down the screw excessively every time I clean it. I wish they designed with some sort of ratcheting end cap/ bolt similar like a shot gun tube or used a barrel band. I applied more force this time and will keep an eye on it. Maybe it just needs a good tightening and will not damage the handguard. If you've been thinking about picking one up go ahead. It will not disappoint you. Thanks for reading my review and hoped you enjoyed it.
writeup and articulated. Thanks for sharing.
do lol and shoot the 40sw. I think it would be fun in 9mm
